What is the Future of Fair Trade in Asia?

 

 PGD Session 2-5

Session Theme: Dialogue: Building Practical Collaborations Maximizing the Strength of Asian Social Enterprise. Fair Trade in Asia: Successes of the Past and Innovation for the Future

 

Session Time: 9:00~11:30, Nov. 30

 

What is the Future of Fair Trade in Asia?

 

Even though Asia accounts for most of the fair trade producer countries, it has emerged as a new market that has been receiving great attention as a new market, especially in the face of increasing awareness of fair trade in Japan and Korea after the 1990s. Asia has different historic and cultural background to the West, so in expansion within the Asian markets, it needs new, different production, selling, and distribution styles, while being selective of the experiences from the West.

 

In this context, a small Meeting was held on November 30^th, in the morning at Seoul KyoYuk MunHwa HoeKwan with the objective of building networks between Asian producers and consumer organizations.

 

Chandra Prasad Kachhipati, Executive Director of “Sana Hastakala”, said that many fair trade committees in Asia bring more people who are under poor physical, societal and economic conditions to join in producing handcrafts, and helps to put those items on the market. They also make every effort to forge better community development programs for their environment; they enjoy better pay, self-development, education for children and public health care services. He added that the fair trade network of countries and regions support producers who are eager to expand the fair trade market and improve their products.

 

Kum-Soo Jeong, Chairperson, Fair Trade Committee, iCOOP Solidarity of Consumer Co-operatives, made her speech on sustainable fair trade from the consumer perspective. She emphasized the importance of popularization that leads to people being aware and making products accessible for ease in buying. This makes the fair trade products more sustainable. She also said that ‘fair trade’ should be fair and reasonable not only from the producer’s view, but also from the customer’s view of the goods and services provided.

 

Roopa Mehta, Executive Director, Sasha Association for Craft Producers, pointed out three success factors: technology, design and production innovation when introducing the “Sasha andcraft case”.

 

Kang-Baek Lee, Executive Director of Beautiful Coffee was the last speaker, and said that putting out fair trade products on the market brings more positive effects such as scaling up the effectiveness of fair trade. He also said that the Company (Beautiful Store) has grown through innovative new products by becoming aware and spotting the unmet needs of customers. In the coming years, they will prove fair trade is the most effective program to stamp out poverty through sustained fair trade programs. He also promised to make the grade to disseminate wider fair trade in cooperation with other NGOs and state organizations.